Thesis-abstract

This is about the impact of culturally responsive picture books on conversational skills in special education. The research involved three children, aged 8 to 11, with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS). The findings suggest that this research can be used as a model for literacy or communication interventions in special education. Some key terms to note are literacy intervention, culturally responsive text, social skills, special education, and read aloud activities. This is the effects culturally responsive picture books have on conversational skills in special education. So I think it would just be easiest if I read it. I can read it word for word, but I don't know that it would sound very good. So basically, I just read the abstract and it described the participants, which were three kids, ages 8 to 11, with either autism spectrum disorder, which I'm going to refer to as ASD because it's a mouthful, and Down syndrome, which I'm going to refer to as DS. And basically, it's describing that this research could be used as a template for a literacy or communication intervention or curriculum, and that's basically what you and I are going to be doing. If you need clarification, there are like five words that I'm going to use a lot that you might not entirely know, so I'm just going to say them here. So literacy intervention, and an intervention is like a specific form of teaching, a different way of instruction, specifically designed for the kids involved. Culturally responsive text, which is in the title, so it's very important, they're basically books that students can relate to on a personal level, whether it's like culturally, ethnically, religiously, in this case, in terms of disability, you know. The next one is social skills, and social skills, you have them, I have them, like, you know, working on communicating with one another, things that people think are basic, but students with disabilities have a difficult time enacting, and then special education, you know, and a read aloud is an activity where the teacher will read a book aloud and typically ask questions as the text is being read. Imagine like you're sitting on a carpet and the teacher's reading out loud, and the kids don't really get to interrupt, but if the teacher wants to stop and ask questions, that's what that is. Okay, bye.